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| A platform at Sindorim Station on Seoul Metro Lines 1 and 2 is crowded with morning commuters wearing masks, Monday. Most people on subway platforms were seen wearing masks despite the relaxation of the indoor mask mandate. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-suk |
By Lee Hyo-jin
Monday marked the first day of the drastic easing of Korea's indoor mask mandate after it was enforced nationwide in October 2020. Starting midnight, wearing a mask in most indoor facilities has become optional with a few exemptions.
People are no longer legally obliged to wear masks indoors, except at hospitals, nursing homes, pharmacies, welfare centers for people with disabilities, and public transportation. Masks are now optional at subway platforms, train stations, bus terminals and airports.
Despite the eased rule, however, most people at subway platforms and gyms seemed reluctant to bid farewell to their years-long habit of wearing masks.
Almost all subway users seen in the morning on the platforms at Sindorim Station on Seoul Metro Lines 1 and 2 were masked up. Even though notices were attached inside stations and platforms that the indoor mask mandate has been lifted, few were eager to take them off.
"I know the mask mandate has been removed, but I didn't think about taking it off because I'm so used to it. And I don't want to stand out among others. I feel I might get unwanted attention if I don't cover my face," Byun Jeong-yoon, a college student, told The Korea Times as she waited for the train to arrive on Line 2.
Not everyone seemed to have heard the news of the lifting of the mask requirement.
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A woman in her 70s who wished to stay anonymous said, "I didn't know that I can take the mask off. But I will wear it anyway. The weather is cold and I haven't been infected with the virus yet, so I'm still cautious."
A man in his 60s surnamed Hwang was one of the very few people to be seen without a face covering. He was wearing the mask around his chin.
"I saw it on the news this morning that we're allowed to take it off on subway platforms. I hope we can remove it inside the trains, too. I don't see the point of wearing it on the train when people can freely mingle without masks at restaurants and bars," he said.
Contrary to anticipation that gym-goers would be the first ones to embrace the lifting of the mask mandate, Monday morning was not very different from previous days, according to a 39-year-old gym owner in Yangcheon District identified only by his surname Eom.
"About twenty people came this morning, but only one of them was unmasked. I guess people feel awkward to take their masks off all of a sudden. It may take a few days for all of us to get used to the new rule," he said, adding that he will also keep on wearing a mask for the time being.
The lifting of the mask mandate came as Korea has been steadily seeing a downward trend in infections in the past several weeks. The country reported the lowest tally in seven months for Sunday with 7,416 new cases, raising the aggregate total to 30,157,017, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
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| Children at a kindergarten in Gwangju smile on Monday, the first day when the easing of the indoor mask mandate came into effect. Yonhap |
Masks have also become optional at schools and kindergartens, as well as shopping malls, department stores and retailers. However, some private cram schools are choosing to keep the mask requirement in place for several weeks due to lingering infection risks.
Regarding such moves, the health ministry said it is a matter of choice for businesses to ask their customers to wear masks.
With the latest decision to scrap the indoor mask mandate, the country has eased almost all of its COVID-19 curbs. The seven-day isolation rule for infected people is the last remaining restriction here.
The KDCA said it will actively review relaxing the self-isolation rule once the World Health Organization (WHO) decides to end the state of Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) over the coronavirus. The UN health agency is expected to announce its decision as early as Monday (local time).
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